Srinagar, Apr 05: In preparation for the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY) 2025, the J&K Health and Medical Education Department has called for a more streamlined and thorough process for issuing Compulsory Health Certificates for intending pilgrims. The goal is to curb morbidity and mortality rates and ensure better health outcomes for pilgrims during the journey.
This directive was outlined at a national review meeting held on Saturday, which brought together key stakeholders and health officials from across the country. The meeting was conducted by the J&K Department of Health & Medical Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
Dr. Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Secretary of the J&K Health and Medical Education Department, highlighted the government’s commitment to providing a robust healthcare system for the pilgrims, ensuring they do not face health issues during the journey. In his address, he emphasised the need for states to issue Compulsory Health Certificates only after thoroughly assessing the health status of intending pilgrims.
Dr. Shah stressed that a more rigorous health check is essential to reduce the risk of morbidity and mortality, thereby saving lives during the Yatra. He also appreciated the efforts of states for deploying specialists and medical officers for Yatra duties in previous years and expressed hope that states and central government institutions would provide the requisite staff numbers for Yatra-2025.
During the meeting the Secretary especially focused on the requirement of Cardiologists, Respiratory Physicians and Anesthetists during the Yatra to handle the emergencies.
This was followed by the unveiling of the Yatra Booklet and the distribution of certificates of appreciation to States and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, senior officials and experts to review past experiences, discuss preparedness, and enhance the coordination framework for medical services during the forthcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
The States/MoHFW Institutions that participated included Delhi, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and West Bengal.
Prominent national level institutions who participated included AIIMS (New Delhi, Raipur, Jodhpur, Bhubaneswar Patna, Bhopal, Rishikesh), PGIMER Chandigarh, JIPMER Puducherry as well as Banaras Hindu University Medical College, RML Hospital, LHMC, Safdergung Hospitals, New Delhi, and Aligarh Muslim University Medical College. Additionally SKIMS Medical College and GMC’s of Jammu, Srinagar, Anantnag participated in the meet.
The meeting featured a comprehensive overview of Emergency Medical Response (EMR) activities presented by Dr. L Swasticharan, Additional DDG & Director EMR, MoHFW, outlining emergency response strategies and best practices.
Dr. Sujata Chaudhary, Additional Director General Health Services, MoHFW, further elaborated on national-level coordination efforts to enhance medical response mechanisms for SANJY.
The yatra will commence on 3rd July and conclude on 9th August, 2025. In recent years, Yatra-related casualties have declined, thanks to the state-of-the-art healthcare facilities established along both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
